The Karnataka government on Wednesday announced formation of a 15-member commission tasked with crafting a new education policy for state.
In addition to the Commission, an advisory board has been established to provide insights and guidance in this endeavour.
“Government is please to accord sanction to constitute the State Education Policy Commission for preparation of draft Karnataka State Education Policy under the chairmanship of Prof Sukhdev Thorat, an eminent Educationist, Economist, Professor, Writer and Former Chairman of UGC New Delhi,” a government release stated.
As per the release, the committee has been constituted to undertake careful review of School and Higher Education in Karnataka.
It further stated, “The Commission is constituted to suggest policies to achieve a higher enrolment in the schools and higher education and to expand the education with improved quality, to provide equal access to all individuals to quality education, to meet the prime goals of education effectively that is imparting scientific knowledge to the students, to inculcate democratic values, give skill and professional education to enhance employability and giving moral education to build good citizenship among the students.”
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in August this year said that the state government will form a new education policy scrapping the National Education Policy, 2020.
“We had serious discussions about the education policy and the meeting was attended by representatives from various educational institutions and other officials. We have decided in our manifesto to discontinue the NEP 2020,” DK Shivakumar said.
He further said that states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala have already scrapped the policy adding that the government will constitute a new committee to work on a new education policy for the state.
Earlier in July this year, Karnataka primary education Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the state education department has decided not to adopt the NEP but instead will implement the State Education Policy (SEP).
It may be noted that NEP 2020 launched in July 2020 provides a set of guiding principles for a paradigm shift across the education sector in India from school to doctoral level.